When
"Supernatural" fan favorite character Castiel was written out of the series at the beginning of Season 7, fans were understandably upset. We got tons of comments, tweets, and emails from Castiel fans who never quite got the closure that they felt their character deserved.

Now that
Misha Collins is returning to the series as a guest star (his first episode airs March 23), we couldn't help but wonder if this three-episode arc was setting fans up for that "closure" they'd sought. We think you'll be relieved by his answer.

"I haven't seen the final episode [script]," Collins tells
Zap2it. "If, by closure, you mean salting and burning the bones, and permanently, irrevocably, eradicating the character -- then no. That is not the case."

Collins certainly has his finger on the pulse of the fans' reaction to Castiel, but for his part, he didn't feel that Castiel was carelessly discarded in the early episodes of this season.

"You know, it was amazing when that term 'closure' was bandied about," he says. "Some fans that I talked to were upset that Cas didn't maybe get a proper burial or a proper period of mourning. I kind of don't really agree with that." Collins saw the demise of Castiel as a full arc, the cornerstone being the Castiel-centric "Man Who Would Be King" episode at the end of Season 6.

"I think Cas had been on a road of death, and there was a mourning going on for him for the entire last several episodes, which happened to bleed over into season 7," he explains. By the time Castiel walked into that lake, the mourning had already occurred. "Cas, as everyone knew him, had been gone for some time by that point."

That said, he hopes that Castiel fans who were displeased with the exit will be more satisfied with this arc. "I think that Cas is getting his due attention at the end of Season 7, if that's what they're looking for," he notes.

As for what's in store for Castiel beyond these three episodes, we'll have to wait to watch -- but Collins does tell us that he's enjoying his time on set and wouldn't be averse to sticking around. When we asked him if he'd be interested in being a part of Season 8, assuming that The CW picks it up, he said eagerly, "I would, actually. I had that conversation with Sera [Gamble] and Bob [Singer] recently, and told them 'Hey, just so you know, I would love to keep working on the show.'"

The fans would certainly love to have him!

Keep an eye out on Zap2it next week for much more from our chat with Collins. In the meantime, be sure not to miss "Supernatural," returning from hiatus this Friday March 16 at 9 p.m. EST.